Qatar 6-7-2017

7, June 2017                                              Qatar

In yet another bizarre twist in the Sunni-Shia divide, Saudi Arabia has declared a fatwa on neighboring Qatar accusing it of aiding and abetting (Shia) terrorism.  Following Saudi Arabia’s lead, Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen broke diplomatic and commercial ties.

What profound Saudi hypocrisy! For decades, Saudi Arabia, home of 15 of the 19 9-11 hijackers, have used their oil money in funding madrassas (religious schools) all over the world which serve as launching pads for terrorism.

They have waged war on neighboring Yemen using British and US weapons slaughtering thousands of civilians making us complicit in Saudi war crimes.

Never losing an opportunity to be at the center of attention, Trump thrust himself into the bitter Persian Gulf dispute boasting that he had orchestrated the Saudi-Qatar divorce proceedings unaware that Qatar is a US military partner, headquarters of the US Central Command. It serves as a major intelligence hub in the Middle East and the base where the US plans and carries out airstrikes on the Islamic State.  Qatar also has strong academic ties to American Universities providing funding for six prominent university Middle East campuses. “Professionals” at the Pentagon and Defense Department were stunned at Trumps’ insistence on hurling a nasty curve ball at a close strategic partner. Meanwhile, news reports cite Russia might have planted false articles exaggerating friendly ties between Qatar and Iran. Saudi Arabia is also trying to neutralize Qatar’s enormously popular Al Jazeera Arabic media.